Keyshawn Davis is quickly becoming one of the most intriguing fighters in the sport of boxing, and it’s not just fans he has left an impression on.
The 27-year-old from Norfolk, Virginia is 14 fights into his professional career and remains undefeated. He briefly held the WBO lightweight title after beating Denys Berinchyk, but lost the belt on the scales ahead of a cancelled first defence. With some outside of the ring issues cleared up and a move up in weight, it is hard to see something or someone stopping his rise anytime soon.
Though Keyshawn’s athleticism and boxing IQ shine through, he has won fans due to being a clinical finisher, too. A man that can attest to his power is rising heavyweight contender Richard Torrez Jr.
Torrez and Davis both took home silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – held in 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic – and were snapped up by Top Rank shortly after to begin their pro campaigns.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Torrez looked back to the days of Team USA and recalled competitive spars with ‘The Businessman.’
“I sparred with Keyshawn Davis. I tell you what, I go hard on Keyshawn, man, cause Keyshawn goes hard.
“People are like ‘oh, Richard, why do you go hard on the lighter weight classes?’ Keyshawn punches like a heavyweight, man. I ain’t going light on him … When we would spar in the amateurs, we’re cracking. I’m gonna crack back. Just because I’m a heavyweight doesn’t mean nothing, you’re world champion level, we’re sparring.”
Davis became the first man to stop tricky and durable Jamaine Ortiz in January. It was his debut at 140lbs, however he has since confirmed that he is likely to move straight to 147 for his next outing, targetting the likes of Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. According to Torrez, his power will carry up just fine.
As for the heavyweight contender, his IBF final eliminator with Frank Sanchez was recently postponed due to an injury for the Cuban. Torrez will look to tick over and get it rescheduled quickly, particularly as the belt, currently held by Oleksandr Usyk, could soon become vacant.